Scarecrows will return in the summer

Laura Button

IT IS the news that townsfolk and visitors have been waiting for - Battle’s Scarecrow Festival will be returning to the town in July.

Following the runaway success of last year’s event, organisers Beautiful Battle said they were planning to rest the festival in 2011.

But such was the demand for the scarecrows to return, a new group was set up to resurrect the festival this summer.

The group is made up of Gary Honeysett, chair of the Battle and District Chamber of Commerce, Battle town councillor Richard Bye and three members of Beautiful Battle, including former chairman Margaret Emeleus.

Gary said traders are particularly pleased to see the return of the festival, which brings a lot of visitors into the town.

He said: “I think it’s gone down extremely well.

“The event has gone very well for the last two years since it started.”

But it seems the organisers may have a few surprises up their sleeves this year, with Gary promising a ‘mystery twist’ on the format.

The festival will take place between July 4-23.

Gary said: “We will be writing to all the clubs and societies so we can invite them to enter, and all the businesses, and through the paper we will make it available to individuals as well.

“It could be bigger than last year - we will see.”

Entry forms will appear in the Observer and entries must be in by the end of May.

All money raised from the event will go to Battle’s Tenderheart Charity and St Michael’s Hospice in St Leonards.